Washing machine



Jan. 4, 1944. s. WALLACE u WASHING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed S'ep't. l2, 1941 Jan. 4, l1944. s. WALLACE 2,338,150

- WASHING MACHINE Filed Sept. 12. 1941 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 4, 1944 `WASHING MACHINE Stanley Wallace, Chicago, Ill., assigner to Sears, Roebuckand Co., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of New York Application September 12, 1941, Serial No. Y410,508

l0 Claims.

My invention relates to machines wherein mechanical power and electrical power are transmitted from one part to a part rotatably connected thereto, and has to do more particularly with washing machine and wringer combinations wherein the Wringer is detachable from the washer and is designed for rotation abouta vertical aXis, preferably throughout a complete circle, from positions over the washer tub to positions outside thereof.

It has been found highly desirable in washing machines of the type herein referred to, to provide certain electrical devices in the wringer portion, such as a, lamp for illuminating either the wringer rolls themselves or for illuminating the contents of the washer tub; a warning light to indicate the operative condition of the Wringer; or possibly a lamp irradiating ultra violet light for sterilizing the laundered articles either in the tub or passing through the wringer.

In the past, the provision of such electrical devices in the wringer has been a source of considerable diculty and danger. Inasmuch as the usual house current is of at least 110 v.,.the provision of electrical devices in an element which is subjected to frequent movement and vibration, such as a wringer, is a source of considerable physical hazard to the operator, whose hands are usually wet and who is usually grounded by reason of wet feet and oors.

An object of my invention is to provide a machine comprising a fixed part anda part rotatably connected thereto and readily demountable therefrom, with means for transmitting mechanical and electrical power therebetween and requiring no special connection or disconnection.

Another object of my invention is to provide a combined washing machine and wringer having electrical transmission means from the washer portion to the wringer portion which will permit ready detachment of the wringer from the Washer proper, as for shipment, etc., without attention to electrical connections.

Another object is to provide a combination of the type referred to wherein the electrical energy fed to the machine is stepped down, before it reaches the wringer portion, to a voltage which will be harmless to the human body, According to one preferred embodiment of my invention,`a transformer is used at the junction between the wringer portion of the machine andthe tub portion or washer proper, while in another embodimenta transformer is employed at a point in the course of the current inadvance ofsaid' junction.

Still another object is to provide an electrical arrangement of both types referred to which will permit rotation of the wringer portion through a complete circle, with locking means for fixing the wringer portion in any desired angular position.

Still another object is to provide devices of the type referred to which will be simple in construction, economical to-fabricate, substantially wear proof and fool proof in operation, and which, in general, are thoroughly satisfactory for the purposes desired.

Various objects-and advantages will, no doubt, suggest themselves to those skilled in the art as the description proceeds.

Referring now to the drawings forming a part of this specification and illustrating preferred embodiments of my invention,

Fig. l is a-fragmentary elevational View of one embodiment of vmy invention, showing a, combined washing machine and wringer to which my invention is applied;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detailed sectional view of the connection between the wringer portion and the tub of Fig. 1 and showing the electrical transmission between said parts;

Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional Views taken along the lines 3 3 and -l, respectively, of Fig. 2; and

Figs. 5^and 6 are sectional Views, similar to Fig. 2, of other embodiments of my invention.

Referring rst to Fig. 1, numeral l) illustrates generally the tub of a washing machine having a hollow post l2 alongside thereof, said post serving as a housing for transmission of mechanical and electrical power from the washer portion of the combination to the wringer portionindicated generally by the numeral l5. A common source of power is provided for the Washer and wrnger, such as an electric motor (not shown), and the mechanical power is transmitted by means of a bar il extending axially within a tubular element I8 disposed within the post l2, which detachably engages suitable mechanical elements (not shown) yin the wringer portion I5 for transmitting motion to the wringer rolls R, R. A sleeve I9, serving as magnetic core mass, is secured within the upper portion ofthe tube I8 and is hanged over the top thereof, as seen in Fig. 2. Since these mechanical elements form no part of my invention, it is not considered necessary that they be shown or described in greater detail.

Disposed within the upper portion of the post IZ'and secured thereto as by screws 2l), or the like, is a cup-shaped element 2l which may be formed of any suitable magnetic material, such as steel, this cup having mounted therein an annular primary transformer coil 22 which receives its energy through conductors 25 from any suitable source, such as an ordinary house lighting circuit. The cup El has secured to the upper portion thereof an annular member 23 provided with a plurality of uniformly spaced apertures llt for angularly adjusting the wringer portion, as will hereinafter be more fully described. Secured below cup 2l is a plurality of annular laminati-ons L of magnetic material, the cup and laminations having a plurality of perforations 2S for drainage and ventilation purposes.

The wringer portion l includes a depending, more or less cylindrical Shell portion 21 which cooperates with the post I2 to form an upward extension thereof and serving as a housing for mechanical and electrical transmission elements. Extending within the shell 21 is a tubular element 3S having an annular flange 32, to the lower face of which flange are secured a plurality ci" annular laminations L of magnetic material, such as soft iron. A sleeve-like member 3G is iixed to the tubular member 30 and has an outwardly extending flange 31 disposed below and y retaining the laminations L', the sleeve 36 having arranged thereon an annular secondary coil 4B, conductor elements d2 serving to convey the induced electrical energy from said secondary coil to any desired electrical element carried by the wringer portion, such as a lamp 45. However, as stated above, my invention may be utilized in connection with any desired electrical element to be carried by the wringer portion, such as a pilot or warning light, sterilizing lamp, etc. The secondary coil it is designed to be capable of nesting conveniently within the primary coil 22, and rests on a snap ring 46 seated in sleeve Sil.

The detailed construction of the transformer coils need not be shown, inasmuch as these elements may follow known principles. I prefer that coils be so wound that the electrical energy is stepped down to approximately 6 v., as carried by the conduits 42. It will be seen that certain members ordinarily serving a purely mechanical function (such as post I2, ring 23 and tube -l) have been supplemented by additional members such as cup 2i, sleeve I9, flange 31 and laminations L and L tc provide a mass of magnetic material to induce the magnetic flux to ow in a path through it, similar to the core in a conventional transformer. This voltage is approximately that carried by an ordinary pocket flashlight and is so low that even a child coming into contact therewith would receive no substantial shock.

For the purpose of adjusting the Wringer portion l5 angularly with respect to the washer portion i0, a lug i1 is provided on the tube 30, which provides a pivot 48 for a manipulating vlever 5o which acts on an indexing pin 52 which seats alternatively in any of the apertures 24 of the ring 23. The pin 52 has formed thereon a stud E4 against which the lever 50 reacts and ,an annular flange 55 which reacts against a `helical compression spring 51 retained by an annular element 58 secured on the tube 30 and apertured to permit passage of the indexing pin 52 therethrough.

The tubular elements are preferably split, as at to, to prevent eddy currents.

It will be seen that I have provided a simple "and convenient arrangement whereby the wringer portion may be readily attached to the washer portion or demounted therefrom for convenient shipment of the separate parts, storage, etc., and which will also permit complete rotation of the wringer portion when assembled with the washer portion throughout a full 360 degrees. There being no electrical attachments to make or unmake when the parts are assembled or disassembled, there is no chance for loose connections and consequent electrical malfunctioning. Furthermore, inasmuch as the current is stepped down to an extremely low level, it will be seen that, even in the event that an operator should come in contact with a bare conductor which might become exposed in the wringer portion, there would be no possibility of danger from shock because of the low voltage. This is considered extremely important because of the fact that, when operating a washing machine, a person is likely to have wet hands and is also likely to be completely grounded, and, hence, contact with electrical energy of ordinary house voltage would be highly dangerous.

Fig. 5 shows another embodiment of my invention wherein a transformer (not shown) of any standard or other suitable form is inserted in the wiring circuit at any convenient point before the current reaches the juncture between the wringer portion and the washer portion. Such a transformer will be so designed as to step down the house current to a harmless value such as, say, 6 v.

Secured to the tubular element I8 which, as in the embodiment previously described, houses the mechanical power transmission, is a collar t5 which may be welded to the post I3. Secured to the upper face of the collar 65 is a pair of spaced co-ntact rings 51, an insulating ring 63 being interposed between these contact rings and the collar Electrical conductors 10 from the transformer previously described (not shown) are electrically connected to the rings 61.

The tubular element 31V, which forms a part pf the wringer portion and corresponds to the element 3U in the previous embodiment, has a terminal annular ilange 12. A pair of Contact pins 13 are slidably carried by the flange 12, suitable insulators 14 being provided therefor. -These pins 13 have enlarged heads at the top and annular flanges 15, coiled springs 11 acting on the flanges 15 to urge the pins into Contact with the rings 61. Conductors are provided to convey electric current from the pins 13 to a lamp or other appliance in the wringer portion, as described above.

A manually operated indexing pin 82 is provided as in the other embodiment for angular adjustment of the wringer portion about the vertical axis of the post I8, the pin 82 cooperating with slots 85 formed in the collar 65.

It will be seen that, as in the embodiment i'lrst described, the form just referred to provides an arrangement whereby the wringer portion may be readily attached or detached from the washer portion, making safe and efficient electrical Contact without the necessity for any manipulation of electrical connections. At the same time, a stock transformer may be employed, thus avoiding the expense of a specially wound transformer while obtaining all the benets of the rst embodiment.

Fig. 6 illustrates an embodiment more on the order of Fig. 2, i. e., where a special transformer is provided, one coil of which is carried by the washer post while the other coil is carried by the detachable Wringer portion. In this embodiment,

however, instead of the coils being nested, as in Fig. 2, they are arranged in tandem'formation.

As in the embodiment of Fig. 2, the numeral I2 represents a hollow post forming a part of the washing machine proper and the numeral 21 indicates a shell forming part of the wringer housing and which cooperates with the post I2 to form an extension thereof. Mechanical power is transmitted to the wringer by means of the bar il rotatable within tube iS. n

Secured to the outside of the tube I3 is a stepped cylindrical element 9i! having an annular flange Si engaging the tube i8, a cup-shapedportion 92 housing a primary coil '93 and a somewhat larger cup-shaped portion Q4 housing a secondary coil 95. It will be understood that the primary coil 3 is permanently fixed within the post i2 while the secondary coil 95 is secured to and removable with the wringer portion 21, the coil 95 being carried by an annular element St which seats against a resilient ring 91 which, in turn, is seated in a groove formed in tubular element 98. The annular element Qt has an out-turned flange IMI against which is seated an annular flange |232 preferably integral with the tubular element 93. A plurality of annular laminations of magnetic material |03 are secured between the flanges W2 and lill), while similar laminations lili? are retained adjacent the iiange @l below the primary coil 93.

A retaining or registering device, indicated generally by the numeral llt, is provided, this being similar to the corresponding feature shown in Fig. 2.

It is believed that the operation of the embodiment shown in Fig. 6 is too obvious to require any special detailed explanation. The transformer constituted by the coils 93 and Se acts as in the other embodiment to step down the current from the relatively high voltage of the house current to a harmless voltage sufcient to operate any electric device on the wringer while at the same time the wringer element is fully rotatable and adjustable in any angular position. Attachment or detachment of the wringer portion is very easily carried out by a mechanically unskilled person without disturbing any of the electrical elements.

Various changes and modifications coming within the spirit of my invention may suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and, hence, I do not wish to be restricted to the specific form shown or uses mentioned, except to the extent indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In combination, a washing machine housing and a wringer housing detachably mounted thereon, a telescopic connection between the washing machine housing and the wringer housing permitting attachment and detachment by sliding axial movement, and means for transmitting electric power from the washing machine housing to the wringer housing including a step down transformer, one of the coils of said transformer being secured to the Washing machine housing and the other coil being carried by the Wringer housing, said coils being disposed adjacent each other when said housings are assembled together.

2. In combination, a washing machine housing and a wringer housing detachably mounted thereon, a telescopic connection between the washing machine housing and the wringer housing permitt'mg attachment and detachment by sliding axial movement, and means for transmitting electric power from the washing machine housing to the wringer housing includingr a step down transformer, the electrical transmission elements between lthe washing machine housing and the wringer housing being non-interlocking, whereby the parts may be assembled and disassembled Without manipulation of any electrical parts.

3. In combination, a washing machine housing and a wringer housing detachably mounted thereon, and means for transmitting electrical energy from said Washing machine housing to said Wringer housing comprising an electrical transformer, the primary coil of which is fixed to the washer housing and the secondary coil of which is fixed to the Wringer housing.

4. In combination, `a washing machine housing and a Wringer housing detachably mounted thereon, said Washing machine housing having a tubular post on one side thereof and said wringer housing having a hollow element constituting an extension of said post, and means for transmitting electrical energy from the washing machine housing to the Wringer housing comprising an electrical transformer, said transformer consisting of an annular primary coil carried by said post and an annular secondary coil carried by said extension, said coils adapted to be nested.

5. In combination, a washing machine housing and a wringer housing mounted thereon, a tubular element carried by each of said housings, said elements telescoping each other to permit ready attachment and detachment of said housings and rotation of the wringer housing about said tubular elements, means disposed Within said tubular elements for transmitting mechanical power from within the washing machine housing to Within the vvringer housing, and means for transmitting electrical energy between said housings comprising contact elements carried by the respective tubular members, the contact elements on one of said tubular members being annular and the contact elements on the other tubular member making sliding engagement with said annular contact elements Whereby electrical energy will be transmitted in all positions of angular adjustment of the Wringer housing.

6. In combination, a washing machine and a wringer, means rotatably mounting the wringer on said machine, and an electrical transformer arranged in said mounting means, portions of the mounting means constituting electrically operative elements of the transformer.

'7. In combination, a machine having two hollow parts rotatably connected together and readily separable from each other, means for transmitting mechanical movement from Within one part to within the other at the axis of rotative connection of said parts, and means for transmitting electrical energy from one part to the other comprising a transformer, one coil of said transformer being mounted in each of said parts, said coils being disposed adjacent each other when the parts are assembled together and being automatically separable by the separation of said parts.

8. In combination, a washing machine housing and a wringer housing mounted thereon With a rotatively adjustable connection between the washing machine housing and the wringer housing permitting angular adjustment of the wringer about the axis of said connection, and means for transmitting electric power from the washing machine housing to the wringer housing including a step down transformer together with separate electrical transmission elements carried respectively between the washing machine housing and the wringer housing, said elements being relatively adjustable about the axis of said rotative connection without alteration of their electrical relation to each other.

9. In combination, a washing machine housing and a wringer housing mounted thereon, a tubular element carried by each of said housings, said elements telescoping each other to permit ready attachment and detachment of said housings and rotation of the wringer housing about said tubular elements, means disposed within said tubular elements for transmitting mechanical power from within the washing machine housing to within the wringer housing, and means for transmitting electrical energy between said housings by induction comprising a coil fixed to said washing machine housing and a coil fixed to said wringer housing, Iboth coils being annular and being disposed adjacent each other in coaxial relation, whereby said electrical energy will be transmitted with equal eiciency in al1 positions of angular adjustment of the wringer housing.

10. In combination, a washing machine housing and a Wringer housing mounted for rotative adjustment thereon, a metallic tubular element carried by one of said housings concentric with the axis of said rotative adjustment, means disposed within said tubular element for transmitting mechanical power from within one housing to within the other, and means for transmitting electrical energy between said housings by induction comprising a coil fixed to said washing machine housing and a coil fixed to said wringer housing, both coils being annular and being coaxial with said tubular element and said element serving as a core for said coils.

STANLEY WALLACE. 

